


Summer Nights

by orphan_account



Category: Free!
Genre: Awkward Encounters, Embarrassment, First Meetings, Getting to Know Each Other, High School, M/M, Mention of unaccepting parents, Nagisa lives in a small town, Parties, Rei lives in the city, Underage Drinking, high school parties, small town AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2019-06-13
Packaged: 2020-05-02 11:13:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19197616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: A quiet night in turns into a typical weekend for Nagisa. This includes: congregating at a local rich kid's house for a huge house party, effectively getting drunk, and maybe even finding a cute boy to dance with. However, Nagisa wasn't expecting said cute boy to be handsome track star from a neighboring city.Though an unfortunate fall completely changes his plan. Now, he's offering up his place to this boy that he barely even knows.Maybe this could develop into something more than an awkward encounter...?





	Summer Nights

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!
> 
> This was supposed to be one-shot, but it kind of got out of hand so I decided to divide it into two chapters. I don't really know where this story came from, it just kind of... happened, lol. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy and I should have the next/last chapter up pretty soon, since I already have part of it written. The tags and rating may change as well based on what I decide to add to it ;)

Nagisa sits back against his headboard, headphones snug in his ears as he bobs his head up and down to the beat of some random pop song on his endless playlist. He clicks absently on his laptop, checking his social media sites in the midst of attempting to finish a homework assignment he'd forgotten about awhile ago now. The room is a pleasant temperature, if just a little humid. The open window next to his bed ruffles his curtains every few seconds as the early summer breeze blows in. He has no lights on, the only things illuminating the space being the sunset outside and the many glow in the dark stars that have been stuck to his ceiling and walls for years.

His music is interrupted by a phone call coming through on his phone, effectively pausing his music. He perks up, unplugging his headphones and answering the call. "Hello?" He says into the receiver.

"Hey, Nagisa." A familiar voice answers, sounding slightly troubled.

"Mako-chan?" The blond shifts so that he's sitting cross-legged on the bed, twirling his headphone cord on one of his fingers as he talks. "What's up?"

"We're actually at Kisumi's place right now and, well, it kind of turned into a big party?" The brunet chuckles and even from here he can sense the uneasiness in his voice.

"Oh?" His interest is piqued and he tilts his head slightly. "Did you want me to come over?"

"If that's okay?" Makoto says, "I thought he was just inviting us to swim in lake or something but it turned out to be this huge thing. Haru already left but I didn't want to be rude so I stuck around."

"Say no more Mako-chan, I'll come to your rescue!" Nagisa exclaims excitedly, already jumping up from his bed and approaching his closet, trying to decide on what to wear.

A sigh came from the other end. "Thank you so much, you don't have to stick around for long. I'll probably leave a few minutes after you get here."

"No prob, I'll see you soon!"

With that, the two hang up, and Nagisa's left to change out of his comfy clothes into something more presentable. It wasn't a shock that Kisumi's house was flooded with party-goers, since that seems to happen almost every weekend. Nagisa actually frequents these parties more than he'd like to admit. He can't help it, he's just a sucker for some alcohol and a great time with friends and strangers alike.

Dressed in a pink tank top, some white shorts, and his reliable converse, he grabs his phone and is out the door into the summer night.

\--

Peddling as hard as he can on his bike, Nagisa finally crests the gravely hill that leads up to Kisumi's house, slightly out of breath from the trip. There are many cars surrounding him and he can already hear the sound of the party all the way from out here. There's a dull, steady beat coming from the stereo inside the large house. There are a few stragglers hanging out by the front entrance, smoking cigarettes (and other things) in small groups. Nagisa recognizes a couple of them, waving as he steps up onto the porch and enters the house. He's already sent Makoto a text saying that he's here and tries to keep his phone in his hand (since there's no way he'd hear it once he's inside the place). He shuffles awkwardly past the crowd leaning against the walls in the hallways, red solo cups in their hands as they talk and laugh amongst each other. As Nagisa waits for his friend to find him, he's already making a b-line towards the kitchen, assessing the sheer amount of alcohol set up on the island, surveying what's left and what he can try. He grabs a shot glass from the sink and just downs one of vodka, not feeling particularly picky in the moment. He makes a face as it goes down with a burn, sending a pleasant shudder down his back. He can already feel the small amount of liquor work its way through his small and lean body.

"Nagisa!"

He turns towards his name, smiling widely upon seeing his friend. "Mako-chan!" He greets.

The brunet looks so relieved that he's there, putting a hand to his chest as he sighs. "Thank god you came." He declares.

Nagisa laughs loudly. "Mako-chan, you should know by now that any time Kisumi invites you to anything on a weekend that it's almost definitely a party."

"Ah, I know..." The taller of the two blushes in embarrassment. "He kind of suckered us into coming with the promise of swimming in the lake. You know that Haru wouldn't pass up an opportunity like that."

"Oh trust me, I know." Kisumi is privileged enough to not only live in a large and nice house like this, but it's actually right on the lake. His family even owns a boat and everything. "But he just ditched you when you guys got here?" As he's asking Makoto these things he's already making himself a mixed drink with the vodka he just took a shot of.

Makoto is pretty used to this behavior by now and just continues the conversation. "Yeah, he wasn't really having any of it. But you know me, I can't just leave, I'd feel too rude..."

Nagisa nods, definitely used to Makoto's mannerisms by now. "I understand. Didn't you two have to work tonight, though?" He wonders, referring to their jobs at the local pizzeria owned by Makoto's family. It's rare that they all get a day off together like this. 

"No, but I'm sure Haru will probably go into work anyway now that these plans fell through." The brunet comments, chuckling.

"You're right, he'd never just sit at home, he always has to be doing something." Nagisa agrees with a snicker.

"Also," Makoto says, getting his attention. "I know you biked here but if you need me to pick you up later, don't be afraid to call me." He tells him, pointedly looking at the red solo cup in his hand.

He smiles, affectionately rolling his eyes. "I'll be fine, Mako-chan. I'm just going to crash here like I do every other weekend."

"Alright, if you say so."

Together, the two friends make their way further into the house, now completely assaulted by the thumping EDM and pop music being blasted in the living room. All of the furniture had been moved out of the way so that it formed a make-shift dance floor and those who were taking breaks were either sitting on said furniture or on the floor against the wall. Nagisa's magenta eyes scan the room, sipping his mixed drink and trying not to make another face at the fact that he screwed up his vodka to soda ratio. The room is doused in soft light and the large windows overseeing the lake reflects the tail end of the sunset in the distance. From here they can see a smaller group congregated outside on the docks, either to get away from the commotion inside or to appreciate the nice summer night. Nagisa feels Makoto gently grip his arm, leading him in the direction of back door to exit the living room. He follows, though maybe a little reluctantly. He knows he'll have plenty of time to dance and mingle later, though.

Once outside, they can feel the humidity in the air and have to swat away a few annoying gnats from their faces. Descending the wooden stairs, they find a clearing on the dock and take a seat. Nagisa sips his drink, glancing around at the others not far away, trying to see if he recognizes anyone. To his surprise, he doesn't, and he squints when trying to identify them. "Hey, Mako-chan, do you know any of those guys?" He asks quietly as to not alert anyone he's talking about them.

The brunet scans the others as well, shaking his head. "No. Some of them have T-shirts on that say they're on a track team from a neighboring school, though."

 _Interesting_ , Nagisa thinks. He watches them curiously, his attention especially being drawn to one with navy blue hair and red glasses, matching the red track shirt Makoto had pointed out. He looks rigid and uncomfortable, barely even conversing with the other boys as he stares out over the lake, fiddling with his hands in his lap. Even though it's pretty far away, Nagisa thinks he can read the name Ryugazaki on the shirt. "I wonder what they're doing here and how Kisumi knows them?" Nagisa wonders aloud, taking a particularly large swig from his cup. He shudders again at the bitter taste.

"I have no idea, Kisumi amazes me when it comes to these parties."

"To be fair I think Kisumi only knows like twenty people and the rest of them come to mooch off the free booze." Nagisa observes.

Makoto raises his eyebrows with a slightly smug smile. "Isn't that what you do?"

"Hey!" Nagisa responds indignantly, "I know Kisumi! ... kind of. Mostly through you."

The other laughs.

As he and Makoto converse, Nagisa's attention can't stop straying from the conversation at hand to the track team further down the dock. He doesn't know why, but he just feels enamored by the Ryugazaki guy. Even though he's sitting down he can sense that he's pretty tall, his legs (especially his calves) muscular and toned from running. A few minutes pass and one of his buddies goes to get everyone drinks and while it seems like he has no interest, he slowly but surely begins to nurse the liquid from the cup. It's amazing to watch how as the minutes go by he can just tell his shoulders and body are relaxing. He even laughs at a joke told by another boy and the blond fawns over his nice smile and pink cheeks. He has a nice jawline, too.

"Nagisa? Nagisa!" He perks up, turning his attention back to the brunet next to him. The other narrows his green eyes at him. "I think I'm gonna go. It’s been long enough that Kisumi won't be too offended."

"Oh, uh, okay!" He feels rude for thinking this, but he's kind of glad so that he can finally go off and mingle. "I'll see you around, Mako-chan! I hope I somewhat saved you?"

"Of course you did, thanks for coming." He says, getting up from the dock and stretching a bit. "I'll see you at work tomorrow."

Nagisa waves as his friend makes his way up the stairs and back into the house, leaving him alone on the dock. He also notices that his glass has been empty for awhile now, signaling that he needs a refill as soon as possible.

He wonders if there's any way he can go talk to that Ryugazaki guy...

\--

A couple hours and many drinks later, Nagisa moves from the outside back into the house. He takes a long drink from his glass, trying not to cringe at how all the alcohol had settled at the bottom. His cheeks are permanently flushed and he's sweating a lot more than he'd like to admit, making his already wavy hair curly and frizzy. He'll admit he's probably looked better, but he can't be bothered as he sways and jumps slightly on his toes to a song that's currently playing through the stereo system. He's floated around the whole night, finding friends from school and even Kisumi himself. Everyone always seems to leave him eventually, though, making him feel slightly lonely. He wishes he could find someone to actually talk and dance with.

When the song ends, he sighs, shuffling through the crowd to try and make his way back into the kitchen. It's a lot more trashed than earlier in the night, the alcohol almost completely annihilated. Even in all the chaos he knows that there's always some vodka. Kisumi guarantees that there's always _something_ , even by the end of the night. Once locating a soda he starts to make his drink, trying to focus enough to not spill.

From his left, he hears a crash and the sound of liquid spilling, followed by an indignant squeak from the person who dropped their glass. Even in the fogginess of Nagisa's vision, he observes the puddle on the floor and then his eyes drift up to the culprit.

It's the track guy from earlier, Ryugazaki. He's stood there with his hands up, glancing back and forth, no doubt trying to locate some paper towels or something to try and clean up his mess before anyone notices. It makes Nagisa giggle and he forgets about the drink he was pouring before, walking towards the handsome stranger.

"Here, let me help." He announces over the sound of the music, kneeling down to the one of the cupboards and retrieving a paper towel roll and handing it to Ryugazaki.

From this close, he can really see the stranger's features in the kitchen light. He looks a lot more vulnerable than he did outside. His emotions are unmasked as he looks down at the blond, accepting the paper towels. "Th-Thank you." He says after a moment, starting to pull some off and wipe down the counter and floor. Nagisa joins him in mopping up the mess, tossing the paper towels into a nearby overflowing trash can.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to drop the glass, I hope you can forgive me." The boy says, trying to adjust his red glasses. He misses slightly and leaves a fingerprint on one of the lenses.

The other giggles at the formality. "I don't care, it's not my house."

"Oh!" Ryugazaki blushes even deeper red, if that's possible. "For some reason I thought you were the host for a second." He says.

"Man I _wish_ this was my house." Nagisa exclaims with an exasperated sigh. "By the way, I haven't seen you around here before. What's your name?" He presses, leaning a little closer into his personal space. The alcohol is making it hard for him to remember boundaries at the moment.

The blue-haired boy leans back at the intrusion. "R-Rei. Rei Ryugazaki." He says.

Nagisa's eyes practically sparkle. "You have a girl's name!"

The other's eyebrows pull together in annoyance. "Well that's pretty rude to point out-"

"My name's Nagisa!" He cuts him off with a laugh.

Rei's defensive posture from before softens at the information. "Oh, really? That's a funny coincidence, I suppose."

"Rei-chan, you should come dance with me!" Nagisa says, hopping on the balls of his feet.

"I'm not that much of a dancer... W-Wait, Rei-chan?!"

He ignores him, surging forward and grabbing onto Rei's hands to try and pull him out of the kitchen. "C'mon, just one dance?" He practically begs, still slightly bobbing up and down with energy.

Even in the dim lighting of the house Nagisa sees Rei blush, turning his face away and pushing up his glasses. "I..." He bites his lip, obviously self-conscious and nervous.

As drunk as Nagisa is, he's still with it enough to tell when someone is genuinely feeling uncomfortable. His grip loosens on the stranger's hand. "That's okay, forget dancing!" He tells him which makes Rei visibly relax. "Do you want to go outside and get some fresh air, then?" He asks instead.

A small smile makes its way onto Rei's face and he adjusts his glasses again. "That sounds nice." He agrees.

The two of them retrieve their drinks and carefully make their way outside into the warm summer evening. Now there are fewer people out here than there were earlier, including Rei’s teammates. Holding their solo cups carefully, they walk along the dock where Kisumi's family boat bobs up and down in the gentle ripples of the lake. At the end, they both take a seat. Nagisa is just short enough that he can let his legs hang off the side and his tip toes will just barely make contact with the water below them. Since Rei is taller and frankly doesn't want to get his shoes wet, he just sits with his legs crossed.

"So, Rei-chan," Nagisa begins, smiling at the other beside him. "You go to another school, right? Where at?"

"Yes, I go to school in the next town over... about a twenty minute drive or so."

"Oh, I've been there a lot! That school's really big, right? It's so much different than our school here. I swear our graduating class is gonna be like forty people." He giggles.

Rei smiles as well, absently trying to swat away some annoying gnats that have started to swarm them. "It's hardly the biggest school ever, but I suppose it is large in comparison to your school."

"So obviously you must be on a sports team because of your shirt, right?"

"Yes, I pole vault on my school's track team."

Nagisa grins. "Cool! My friends and I used to swim when we were younger. Too bad our high school doesn't have the budget to open and maintain a pool so that we could continue to compete." As he says this, he puffs his cheeks in a pout, swinging his feet underneath him in a gently rhythm. Rei hums, setting down his drink beside him and bringing one of his knees up closer to his chest. "So, you're like a total city slicker, right? I can tell." Nagisa asks, turning to look at him and laughing quietly and Rei's confused expression.

"C-City slicker? Do people even say that anymore?" He shakes his head. "It’s hardly even considered a city."

"Mm, but it's still nothing like out here, right?"

After he says this, Rei gives a good look around his surroundings, taking in the larger houses on the lake as well as remembering the drive out here, surrounded by nothing but stretches of empty field and broken roads. It's still so much different than home, despite only being a short drive away. "You have a point." He admits.

"Sometimes it's not so bad out here, but other times I hate it. I don't like when people always know everything about you all the time. It can feel like you have no privacy." He mutters, staring out over the lake.

Rei watches him from the corner of his eye, having never given thought to that kind of situation. It does sound like it'd be hard sometimes. Maybe it's the alcohol, but he finds himself sympathizing with this random boy he met only a few minutes ago. "That does sound hard..." He means to look away after only a moment, but his gaze lingers, taking in Nagisa's boyish but feminine features. He has a nice jawline but soft and round cheeks, big eyes that are a unique and mesmerizing magenta. His wavy hair looks soft and the golden color compliments his complexion. Rei swallows a lump in his throat and finally manages to tear his eyes away, instead focusing down on the worn wood of the dock.

"How come you're not with your friends?" Nagisa asks curiously.

"I don't know if I'd exactly call them my friends, per se."

Nagisa wasn't expecting that and raises his eyebrows. "Oh?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Rei counters.

"I actually was here with a friend awhile ago, but he left. Plus I kind of know almost everyone here, even if they aren't my friends." Nagisa informs.

 _Figures_ , Rei thinks to himself, Nagisa has proven himself to be a social butterfly. They're quiet for a moment, appreciating the sounds of crickets and the muffled music from inside the house. Eventually, Rei really feels the night start to catch up with him, all tired and ready to go home. "I should probably find my teammates and get going..." He tells Nagisa.

The blond frowns, trying not to let the disappointment consume him too much. He picks up his cup next to him, swishing around the mixed drink within absently to try and seem like he's unbothered. He actually hasn't taken a drink in awhile now and feels a lot more sober than he did inside. "Okay... It was nice to meet you, Rei-chan." He tells him genuinely, looking back at him with a smile.

Rei finds the gentle expression contagious and his smiles too. "Yeah, you too." He agrees. He figures that that was a good place to end their conversation and he starts to rise to his feet. However, he grossly underestimates how much the booze has gotten to his head that night and when he stood, there's a second where he's overwhelmed by dizziness, making him stumble on his feet. Being so close to the edge of the dock, he barely has any time to react before he feels his foot graze the edge, his foot slipping so that he's tumbling backwards towards the water. All he remembers is exclaiming a small shout before he splashes into the coldness of the lake, the outside world completely muffled by the water.

Nagisa is barely able to comprehend what happens fast enough, visibly startling when he watches Rei lose his balance and tumble backwards. He's splashed from the impact and brings up his hands to shield his face from getting completely wet. He looks down in time to catch the tail end of the fall, sitting up abruptly as he's on alert. There's a brief second where he stares, mouth agape and eyes wide, his heart beating frantically in his chest and he tries to process what to do. To the few other people that are outside further up the deck, they all turn towards the commotion at the sound of water splashing, starting to congregate down towards them.

"R... Rei-chan?!" Nagisa yells, jumping up to his feet, suddenly feeling completely sober. He watches the water frantically, his eyes scanning and moving as he tries to find any sign that the other is going to resurface any second. "Oh fuck, oh FUCK." He exclaims when Rei doesn't show any sign of coming up. "Fuck fuck fuck-" He repeats in a mantra, not even thinking twice before he takes a quick breath and dives into the lake.

The water is so cold and nearly shocks him from how unexpected it is. Underneath the water he can barely see anything, but thank god the few lights near the house are bright enough to reach them so he can see _something_

_. Nagisa can feel the rush of water moving around him from Rei struggling not far away, frantically trying to get himself to the surface. Nagisa takes action, kicking his powerful swimming legs to propel him downwards into the lake until he's behind Rei. He grabs him around the middle, using every ounce of his strength to kick and pull the taller up with him. It makes it so much more difficult since he's so much shorter and smaller than the struggling boy. When Rei realizes that his panicking isn't helping, he wills himself to relax so that Nagisa can take advantage of the moment and finally haul them up to safety._

__

They break through the surface with gasps and coughs, more so Rei than Nagisa. Rei hacks and wheezes, obviously expelling the lake water from his lungs with each cough that sounds painful to anyone who's around to hear it. Nagisa continues to try and kick and pull Rei along with him towards the latter on the side of the dock, panting from exertion and trying to flick his wet hair out of his eyes. Swimming with his shoes on is not the greatest idea he's ever had.

__

By this point, there's a small crowd of people who have surrounded the edge of the dock, staring down at the two boys and chatting in disbelief. A couple close to them offer their hands to help them up, but Nagisa doesn't trust them at the moment, instead just getting to the latter and encouraging Rei to grab onto it. The other clutches it for dear life, still coughing as he weakly lifts himself up on the first step. Nagisa waits behind him, keeping himself afloat by kicking his feet and wading his hands through the water. Finally, Rei manages to climb up onto the dock, water falling from his clothes and body. He tries to regain his breath, remaining on all fours, shaking and panting.

__

Nagisa pulls himself up onto the dock as well with a couple steps, kneeling down next to Rei. "R-Rei-chan..." He breathes, slicking his hair back out of the way. "Are you okay...?!"

__

The other doesn't answer, instead moving so that he flops down on his back, staring at the wooden fixture above them with wide eyes. Nagisa notices that his glasses are missing and that makes his chest feels tight.

__

"Shit, is he okay?" Some party-goer asks Nagisa from beside them.

__

Nagisa doesn't bother looking at him, shaking his head. "He'll be alright. Can someone go get us some towels and leave us be?" He calls out to the rest of the group. Amongst them, a few mumble and accept the request, most of them shuffling off in the direction of the house. The guy who spoke to Nagisa a second ago put a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "I'll go get the towels and tell Kisumi what happened." Nagisa nods, moving so that he's sitting on his butt now, already feeling extremely clammy and uncomfortable from his entire outfit being soaked.

__

They're finally left alone and after a second longer, Rei carefully moves to sit up, still shaken up from the whole thing but seems to have calmed down. Nagisa knows that what happened isn't his fault in the slightest, but he has the same feeling of dread and regret in his chest as he watches Rei slowly process the situation to the point where the embarrassment starts to set in. Hesitantly, he repeats the question from a moment ago. "Are you okay...?" He asks quietly.

__

He can see the boy's jaw lock out of frustration and he shakes his hand, some water spraying everywhere as he does so. "No, I'm not alright. God this is humiliating..." He laments, bringing his legs up to his chest and hiding his face in his arms.

__

Nagisa winces from the tone, once again trying to slick his hair out of his face. "Can you not swim?" He asks.

__

Even though most of his face is hidden away, he can see the subtle movement of Rei shaking his head. At least that explains why he didn't resurface right away. Just because Nagisa purely doesn't know what to say in this situation, he falls silent, the only sound between the being water still dripping off of their clothes and onto the wood beneath them.

__

After a minute or so, Nagisa spots a head of pastel pink hair bound down the stairs of the deck, two big fluffy towels in his arms as he approaches the two of them. "Are you guys alright? I brought the towels." Kisumi says, handing them off to Nagisa. The blond nods, carefully draping one of the towels over Rei's shoulders so that he can begin drying himself off. He takes his own and starts ruffling it through his hair. "I wish I could help more but I can't really offer you a shower since it'll be near impossible to get some privacy with this many people still here. I can try to shut off a bedroom and give you a change of clothes...?" The older tries fruitlessly to think of anything.

__

Before Nagisa can say anything, Rei shakes his head. "I appreciate the hospitality, but I think I'm just going to go find my teammates and go..."

__

The other frowns, disappointment creeping up on him.

__

"Your teammates?" Kisumi repeats, tilting his head to the side as if he's trying to remember something. "Were they the other guys that had the same shirts on? I think they left awhile ago."

__

Nagisa's eyes widen and he looks over at Rei who seems to pale at the information. "O-Oh, um..."

__

"You can come stay with me for the night." The blond blurts out before thinking.

__

Rei blinks and he can feel how apprehensive he is about the offer. "I-I don't know, it's very nice of you to offer but I'm sure if I called they'd come get me-"

__

"I don't live far away, just about ten minutes if we walk." Nagisa interrupts, moving so that he's standing instead of sitting in the puddle of water on the deck. "You can get washed up and I'm sure I have some clothes you can borrow for a night. I just... figured it'd be better than waiting around for your teammates."

__

Rei's lips are pursed in a thin line, considering Nagisa's offer. After a moment of anticipation, he sighs. "If you're sure I won't be a burden."

__

The shorter smiles brightly, shaking his head. "Of course not! We should get out of here, then."

__

Kisumi, who had been observing their conversation, nods. "Well I'm glad you guys are alright, I completely freaked out when someone told me about the fall. You be safe walking home, okay? I'd offer to drive but I'm sure my car's completely blocked in the driveway."

__

That makes the blond giggle and he waves his hand dismissively. "That's alright. Thanks for the towels, I'll bring them back to you sometime soon."

__

Kisumi agrees, already stepping away to go back into the house after saying his goodbyes to the two of them. Once alone, Nagis turns his attention back to the other as he gets to his feet as well, the towel draped on the back of his neck as he checks something on his phone. Thankfully that was sitting next to him on the dock when he fell in and wasn't in his pocket.

__

With the both of them still uncomfortably damp and ready to change, Nagisa starts the trek up from the dock. They wordlessly agree to not go through the house, instead trying to dodge as many people as possible by going around the side. They ignore the stragglers outside who give them a few stares, falling in step by each other as the party behind them slowly fades away. Their feet crunch against the gravely roads as they walk.

__

"Thank you for doing this... and for saving me from the lake." Rei mumbles after a few minutes, staring down at the ground. Nagisa obviously doesn't know Rei very well, but of course he can't help but feel terrible about the events that unfolded that night.

__

"It was no trouble at all." He assures.

__

After a few more minutes of walking, the surrounding fields around them start to turn into small clusters of businesses and gas stations when they start to get into the main part of town (compared to the outskirts, where Kisumi lives). Following Nagisa like a lost puppy, Rei stays close as they take a left down a residential road where many small houses line the streets. Because of the late hour, all of the lights are off, creating a sort of ominous vibe.

__

"When we go in we're going to have to be really quiet." Nagisa tells him, already lowering his voice as he leads him up the front door. "My parents are out of town for the weekend but I have two sisters that still live with me."

__

Rei finds that bit of information pretty amusing. The shorter of the two turns his key in the lock and slowly pushes the door open, glancing inside before signaling Rei to follow him inside. Stepping in, it's too dark to really take in his surroundings, but he appreciates the cool air and the homey smell the space gives off. They both ditch their damp shoes by the door to hopefully dry overnight as they step quietly through the house and the dark hallways. The floors still creak slightly under their feet and Rei nearly sighs in relief when they reach a fairly large bedroom with the lights on on the inside. He takes in the pastel blue walls with thick white stripes going vertically up the sides. On each side of the bed are two windows that are still open from earlier in the day, filling the room with soft breezes that ruffle the white, sheer curtains. The bed is haphazardly made with a laptop still open in the middle of it.

__

"Sorry it's a little messy, I wasn't expecting anyone tonight." Nagisa apologizes, talking a semi-normal volume now that they're closed off from the rest of the house.

__

"It's alright, I'm just grateful for a place to stay."

__

"Well here's the bathroom," He shows him the bathroom attached to his room (something he fought tooth and nail for), "You can go ahead and hop in the shower, I'll find some clothes for you to change in to."

__

"You don't mind me going first?" The taller confirms.

__

"I don't mind! Go ahead."

__

Rei thanks him again before disappearing into the bathroom. There's some brief shuffling from behind the door before the water turns on and Nagisa can only assume that the other has started showering. Nagisa doesn't know why, but he suddenly feels instantly relieved when Rei’s gone, like he can finally take a deep breath. What he wanted to be a fun and carefree night has turned into awkwardness and has left him wondering what the hell he's even doing. He couldn't just leave Rei without a ride home or a place to stay, so he doesn't regret that he offered up his place to stay. While it was completely out of his control, he still wishes they had more time to get to know each other before this happened because then maybe he wouldn't feel so anxious. Even though the lake incident had left him feeling pretty much sober, now that he's alone in his room, there's still some fuzziness of his surroundings that indicate that all of the alcohol isn't completely out of his system yet.

__

He digs through his dresser drawers until he finds some sleep shorts that are too big for him as well as an oversized T-shirt (which isn't too hard to find since he typically sleeps in them) and sets them on his bedside table for when Rei is done with his shower. Even though he hasn't showered yet, he can't stand the smell of his clothes anymore and promptly changes, tossing his other outfit into his hamper. He heaves a sigh, sitting on his bed and scrolling through his phone as the other showers. He passes the time by checking his social media and shooting Makoto an update text about what happened. It's too late and he knows the brunet won't see it until morning, anyway.

__

After a couple minutes, the water stops, and the blond perks up. There's a few more seconds of shuffling before the bathroom door cracks open, some steam billowing out of the small space. Rei pokes his head out, his hair matted down from the water. Even in the small crack of the door Nagisa can see his shirtless form, one of his towels hung loosely around his waist. "Do you have those clothes for me?" He asks Nagisa.

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Nagisa can already feel the heat rushing to his cheeks in a blush from seeing Rei and he promptly tries to tear his gaze away. "Y-Yeah!" He answers, embarrassingly stuttering. He grabs the outfit and approaches the bathroom, swallowing thickly as he holds them out to the other, trying everything he can to avoid his gaze. "Here."

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"Thanks." Rei retreats back into the bathroom, clicking the door shut to change.

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When he emerges once again, Nagisa is thankful that the clothes seem to fit him fine and he shuffles past him to shower himself. "I'll just be a second."

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Rei nods, delicately taking a seat on the bed as his host goes to rinse himself off. The blue-haired boy sighs, feeling the events of the night finally take a hold of him. He keeps replaying everything in his head over and over again. The awkwardness of the party, his first few drinks, meeting Nagisa in the kitchen, talking by the dock, and of course falling into the lake. He feels a shudder go up his back every time he remembers the water rushing around him, muffling his hearing and dousing him in darkness. Thank god Nagisa was there and knew how to swim or he doesn't know where he'd be right now. He's really bummed that his glasses were lost in the lake, but at least he has an identical back up pair at home.

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As he aimlessly observes Nagisa's room with his blurry vision, he spots a large rainbow flag hung up above the boy's dresser. He's surprised that he missed it the first time he walked in, given that it's bright and colorful. He automatically makes the connection that Nagisa must be on the LGBTQ spectrum, and that bit of information makes him smile softly.

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He's really glad that the blond was true to his word when it comes to how long he'd be in the shower, since he doesn't know how long he would've been able to wait until he fell asleep right where he sat on the bed. Nagisa emerges from the bathroom, drying off his fluffy blond hair with a new towel. Rei can already tell he feels much better, much like Rei when he was able to rinse off. He smiles at him. "I have an extra comforter and blankets so I can set up a palette on the floor? I'd offer the couch but unless you wanna be woken up by one of my sisters in the morning I wouldn't recommend it."

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Rei chuckles. "The floor is fine, thank you." Tossing the towel into the hamper, Nagisa opens his closet and reaches up on his tip toes to reach the top shelf to retrieve the blankets and pillows and question. Rei has to admit it's kind of cute sight. As Nagisa begins setting up the blankets on the ground next to his bed, Rei just has an overwhelming need to know more about the mystery boy. "So you have two sisters?" He asks.

__

"Technically I have three. One of them is already a sophomore in college, the other is a freshman at a community college, and the other just graduated from high school, which is why those two still live here. What about you, Rei-chan? Do you have any siblings?"

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"I have an older brother." Rei answers easily, going to adjust his glasses on his face, only to bump his face with his fingertips since they're missing. He blushes in embarrassment and hopes Nagisa didn't see it.

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"Cool! Is he in college?" Nagisa asks, tossing down the two pillows onto the makeshift bed.

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"Yes, but he's already home for the summer."Nagisa grins, lowkey ecstatic that they're finding common ground to talk about. "Does your sister who goes to the out of state college come home for the summer?"

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He shakes his head, taking a seat next to Rei on the bed. "No, she lives there with her girlfriend."

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_Girlfriend_... Rei thinks, wondering back to the rainbow flag on the wall. He suddenly has a sinking feeling that maybe that doesn't mean that Nagisa is on the spectrum, but instead just loves and supports his sister. He frantically tries to think of a way to keep the conversation thread going to find out more information. "How long have they been together?" He asks quickly without much thought. He hopes it doesn't sound too weird.

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"Umm..." Nagisa thinks. "Four or five years by now? I feel like I've been going to pride events with them since I was in middle school so it has to be around there." He giggles at his own comment.

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"Is that where you got the flag...?" Rei wonders aloud.

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It seems like he forgot about the piece of cloth hanging on the wall, because he then frantically glances between Rei and the flag nervously. "Um, yeah..." He debates on leaving it at that, however, it may be the lingering drunkenness and the bravery brought on from the already strange night, but he pushes it further. "I also got it for me, too, since I came out two years ago."

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Rei's heart starts beating faster in his chest at the information, nervously glancing away from the blond's gaze to hopefully conceal his excitement. "That's nice..." He bites his lip. "I wish I could have one, but I don't... I don't think my parents would like it very much."

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Nagisa's content and happy expression from a moment ago falls at the information, his eyebrows furrowing together in concern. "O-Oh... do they not accept you?"

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"It's not that, necessarily." Rei lounges back on the bed, supporting himself by putting his hands behind him on the comforter. "I haven't told them yet, but I feel like they'd be... disappointed?"

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"I'm sorry..." Nagisa offers, unsure of what else to say. He always knew he was pretty lucky to have such a loving and accepting family that sometimes he forgets that it can be harder for other people.

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"It's alright, it's not a huge deal. I'll tell them eventually when I'm ready. I know that they'll love me no matter what, but I know there will always be that lingering disappointment."

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"That's still a hard thing to deal with. Everything will be okay, Rei-chan." He tells him, a gentle smile on his face. Rei is really glad that he's near-sighted, cause it's a really comforting and nice sight to see the boy next to him this up close. His drying hair has already started to fluff out and curl, much like when he first saw him that night, and even though they've known each other for a short amount of time, he can already feel a connection with him.

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Suddenly, a large yawn takes over the blond's entire body, bringing little tears to his eyes. "We should probably turn in, it's already, like, three in the morning."

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"Oh! Y-Yes, that sounds great, I'm exhausted too."

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Wordlessly, the boys settle down into their respective beds and when they're where they need to be, Nagisa leans over and clicks off the lamp next to his bed. The room is doused in darkness other than the moonlight streaming through the windows. Rei attempts to get comfortable on his side, tucking his arm underneath one of the fluffy pillows. There's a moment of silence between them. "Hey, Nagisa?" He calls out quietly.

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Thankfully the other hadn't passed out yet, lifting up his head when he hears his name. "Yeah?"

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"... Thank you again for tonight."

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Nagisa smiles, laying his head back down on his pillow. "You're welcome, Rei-chan. Good night."

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"Good night..." Rei answers, feeling better once he said it once again.

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For some reason he thought sleep wouldn't come easy due to the crazy night and the fact that he's sleeping on a floor in a boy's room he just met that night. However, it's only a few minutes after closing his eyes that he drifts off in a deep sleep.

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**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact: This AU is something I've had planned for these boys for yeeears. A few years ago I had one chapter up of his AU, but they met in a different place. I ended up deleting that fic since I never updated it. I suddenly got the inspiration for it again when I moved home for the summer (since their setting is loosely based off of my home town) and wanted to revive it in a different way. 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed it and please let me know by giving kudos and commenting what you liked :) Next chapter will be up soon. Thanks again!
> 
> Follow me on [Tumblr?](https://nagi-chan-san.tumblr.com/)


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